TROPICAL STORMS

• Location

  Tropical storms form over warm oceans, which explain why they form in the tropics.

  they form in summer + autumn when the water temperatures are at their highest.

  most tropical storms from 5-15 degrees north and south of the equator or there is not enough spin from the rotation of the earth (coriolis effect)

  in tropical regions the intense heat makes the air rise, leading to cloud formation and tropical storms.
• structure of tropicals storms

  the eye is a smaller area in the centre where colder air sinks towards the ground and warms up.

  There are no clouds here and the conditions are calm.

  on either side of the eye, there is a tall bank of cloud called the eye wall.

  within the eye wall, there are strong winds in excess of 120km/h , heavy rain, thunder and lightening.

  There are spiralling rain clouds on the outside of a hurricane, which are associated with thunderstorms.
• Formation of tropical storms

  1. Air is heated above shallow warm tropical oceans

  2. Air rises

  3. Rising air draws in more air creating strong winds (tropical depression)

  4. Winds begin to rotate due to coriolis effect, creating an eye

  5. Spin clockwise in S hemisphere, anticlockwise in N hemisphere

  6. Rising air condenses forming large clouds which bring heavy rain

  7. Cool air sinks into the eye creating high pressure

  8. Storm travels across the ocean in direction of prevailing winds
• Tropical depression


  Strong winds created by rising air drawing in more air
• Tropical storm


  When the wind reaches 75mph